Natsu's Diary
by Nightlingbolt
Summary: IMPORTANT: This story is in danger of deletion! See Chapter 3.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello, people! Nightlingbolt here! Welcome to my newest project, "Natsu's Diary!" (Working title, I may or may not change it.)**

**I haven't posted anything since Infuriating, so it's kind of weird to be posting crap again. Then again, I did go through a severe writer's block period. I was writing, but I just couldn't write anything good! Yeah, I have ridiculously high standards.**

**Anyway, now that I'm writing again, what does that mean for my other projects? Well, I decided I'm going to delete Don't Forget to Remember Me. I'm sorry to have put you all through that gong show, but back around Memorial Day, my employment service terminated my case because I blew up at my counselor about an exam I didn't take that they paid for. That class was a bad idea from the start, but I was still naive enough to be hopeful. I found an online study guide for something called CompTIA, so after Thanksgiving, I'm gonna try to see what I can do about that. Bring it up with the folks, and maybe we can find some place to take the exam.**

**Besides which, six chapters in, I didn't even get to the main point of the story: Erza losing her memories of Natsu. I had this grand plan in my head, with Team Natsu plus Gajeel fighting a dark guild, Erza fighting a climactic final battle with the master of said dark guild, and combined with my depression around Memorial Day, I just felt like it was plodding.**

**Anyway, Scenes is still on hiatus. I may actually rewrite it in the end, but I just want to see how the Grand Magic Games arc winds up before I commit myself to it. Pretty much the same deal with Infuriating and Figuring It Out, the former of which I feel can stand alone anyway. Again, I want to see just what kind of character development Team Sabertooth goes through.**

**Anyway, about this fic, it's an ErzaxNatsuxLucy love traingle, something which I've been eager to try for a while, which is pretty much why I haven't updated anything in the last two months - well, that and Pokemon Black 2 and White 2. I know, I know, but hopefully this is something worth reading. Actually, since this intro is taking up so much space already, I'm just gonna say goodbye here. So until the next update, peace and love from Nightlingbolt. Enjoy the chapter.**

**I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, Hiro Mashima does.**

* * *

Erza Scarlet was not looking forward to the task ahead of her. This Herculean endeavor intimidated her more than any monster could. Her opponent was a greater threat than any dark mage could be. Yes, Erza was to clean Natsu's house.

Natsu and Happy were away following a lead on Igneel. He and Lucy had apparently gotten into a fight, so the Dragon Slayer had asked Erza to clean his place up while he was gone, since he was still mad at Lucy, and therefore didn't feel right sleeping over. Erza had agreed, but on the condition that Natsu would polish all her armors when he got back.

And so, Erza steeled herself to face the grime and mess that was Natsu's cottage in the woods. She had told him countless times to clean up after himself, and why he never did was beyond her. Perhaps he never anticipated having guests, which confused Erza. The place was really nice if it was kept clean. Lazy dragon.

As soon as she walked in, she was greeted by a familiar blonde. "Lucy," she greeted with mild surprise. "What brings you here?"

"Hey, Erza," Lucy greeted back. "I felt bad about mine and Natsu's fight, so I figured I'd do something nice for him and clean his house while he's gone."

"What a coincidence," said Erza. "He asked me to do the same thing. Will you require my assistance?"

"That sounds great," said Lucy. "Thanks, Erza."

Erza requipped into her "cleaning outfit," which was a skimpy French maid costume, and said, "Shall we get to it, then?"

And so the girls cleaned up the modest cottage. With their combined efforts, they were finished in as little as three hours. Lucy looked at their handiwork with pride.

"Wow!" she said in disbelief. "It looks even cleaner than the last time I did this!"

"I agree," said Erza. "I really must get on Natsu about keeping this place neat. He simply doesn't realize the beautiful home he has!"

"I know!" said Lucy. "That color goes perfectly with the molding!"

Erza smiled. "We'd best put everything back in its proper place," she said.

Lucy did not need to be told twice. She made her way towards the container they placed Natsu's belongings in and randomly pulled out a green book with a lock. She had grabbed it by the strap, which had caused the lock to rip off, leaving the book to dangle open.

"Careful, Lucy!" scolded Erza.

"Sorry!" said Lucy hastily. She closed the book and, purely out of curiosity, checked the front cover. Suddenly, an evil grin made its way to the Celestial mage's face.

Erza heard Lucy snicker, looked at the book, and snapped right into action. "I see you've found Natsu's diary," she said sternly. "Put that back where it was immediately! Those words are not meant for our eyes!"

"Oh, no no no no no!" said Lucy in an uncharacteristically wicked tone. "Do you have any idea how long I've been waiting for this golden opportunity? Natsu goes through the letters I write to my mother all the time! It's only fair that I get to invade _his_ privacy for once!"

Erza sighed. "I can see I'm not going to talk you out of this one," she said. "Very well! But I for one plan to keep my hands clean of this endeavor, so leave me out of this!" She Requipped a pair of headphones connected to a Sound Pod and climbed into Natsu's hammock, eager to take a nap after a hard day's work.

"Your loss," muttered Lucy. She opened to a random page and began reading to herself.

_July 4, X784_

_That lead I mentioned was a bust, but I did meet a girl in Hargeon. Her name's Lucy, and she's a Celestial mage, whatever that is. She wanted to join Fairy Tail, so I took her back with me. I mean, how can she NOT be part of Fairy Tail? She's smart, she's nice, she's pretty... No, Natsu! Stop it!_

_Thing is, I considered making a move on her, but I'm still afraid to get back into dating after... Lisanna... I dunno, what if I lost Lucy like I did her? No, I'm just not ready to go through that again! But you know what? It's probably worth it for that really comfy bed she has!_

Lucy frowned. She appreciated that Natsu liked her, but if he was going to get over his insecurities about dating, she'd rather not have it be for her bed. She flipped to another page, this one dated some time after the battle with Eisenwald.

_So I just got back from spending a night in jail with Erza. What did we do? Well, the Magic Council came to arrest Erza for the damage we caused trying to stop Eisenwald. Keyword: WE. Like hell I was gonna let Erza take the fall for something we all caused! So I donned an Erza costume and tried to take her place. Only thing, though, is it was just a display of the Council's power and I got us both locked up for the night. I regret nothing!_

_But you know, when we were locked up, I randomly remembered that bet I made with Gray back when we were kids. The bet was that the first out of the two of us to become an S-Class mage would marry Erza. But then Lisanna joined, and things took off from there._

_I dunno. Between meeting Lucy and rediscovering Erza, I feel like this is all some grand plan, maybe Lisanna's way of telling me to live my life. Hell, Elfman and Mira are living their lives, so why the fuck can't I? Still, I've never felt the way about Erza that I did last night, and that scares me somehow._

"No way!" exclaimed Lucy. "Erza! You have to see this!"

Erza grumbled. She was just about to fall asleep, too. "Lucy, I told you already that I don't want any involvement in reading Natsu's diary." she said.

"Natsu wrote about you," said Lucy. "About his feelings for you."

That piqued Erza's curiosity. For as long as she'd known Natsu, she'd never seen any signs of romantic interest from him. But to think he had such feelings for her? She forcefully took the diary from Lucy's hands, leaving her to read over her shoulder, and began reading an entry dated after the Phantom Lord war.

_Apparently, Lucy's some sort of heiress. She ran away from home and her father sent Phantom Lord to get her back. Not like they could. I mean, Lucy's a mage of Fairy Tail now! We don't let our family go that easily!_

_But she did go back home to cut ties with her father, only we thought she was going back home for good. I can't really explain it, but the thought of Lucy leaving Fairy Tail... that was like a knife through my heart. It felt the way it did when Lisanna died, and I didn't like it._

"It seems Natsu likes you just as much, judging from the contents of this diary," said Erza. She continued reading from where she left off.

_And now, something happy: Erza said I'm gonna surpass her! Just thinking back on it makes me feel... validated somehow. Like all my training is actually worth something. But I did feel something else when she told me that. You know how a girl goes gaga when a cute guy tells her she's cute? Yeah, I felt like that, too._

_It's weird, though. Lately I'm feeling all these weird feelings for Lucy and for Erza! Gahhh, I wish Gildarts was back! I need someone to talk to about this shit! Oh well, I'm off to find Gray. I could use a good punching bag right now._

Lucy giggled, causing Erza to shoot her a sharp glare. "You have to admit, though, his delivery was kind of funny," said the Celestial mage.

"Only kind of, though," agreed Erza. The next entry took place after Laxus's failed attempt to take over the guild.

_Been sick, long story. Laxus tried to take over the guild. It's cool, though, Gajeel and I stopped him. All the Fairy Tail members got to fight each other, but Gramps kicked Laxus out because of it! I don't get why, any idiot could tell the guy was just blowing smoke!_

"He did threaten the entire town," said Erza. "That's not something anyone should take lightly."

_Besides, Fairy Tail's bonds are strongest when everyone's fighting! Strengthening the bonds between Fairy Tail's members – isn't that what Laxus was trying to do all along? It might as well have been, given that his Fairy Law spell didn't work on us._

"Wow. Natsu's smarter than I give him credit for," said Lucy.

"It's no surprise," replied Erza. "Natsu was always wise with matters of the heart."

_So I told Gramps how I felt about the whole deal, but Erza talked me down. Come to think of it, this is the perfect segway into what happened before that. That is what Lucy called it, right? Segway?_

Lucy facepalmed. "So much for being smarter than I give him credit for!" she said.

Erza made a disapproving sound. She hadn't really noticed it, possibly because she knew him, but Natsu had a tendency to misspell words. Oh well, at least his handwriting was decent.

_Anyway, Loke gave us tickets to an island resort, where Erza's childhood friends kidnapped her. We all tried to save her, but she escaped, so we felt like things were resolved. Until she went to fight Jellal, the mastermind of the group. I was confident that Erza could beat him, until Simon explained the emotional advantage Jellal had over her. And then... something snapped in me. I can't explain it, but as soon as I knew what was going on, I was thinking, "Beat Jellal! Protect Erza!" So that's pretty much what I did, except I had to eat Etherion, the Council's superweapon, to get on even terms with him, which is pretty much why I was sick._

_I think I've got everything figured out now. I like Erza. I mean, _really_ like her. She used to be just a rival, not to mention a friend, but what Simon said... made me realize that I wanted to protect her. I mean, she's so much stronger than me, but now I know just how delicate she can be. Like I said, Erza's strong, but guys like Jellal make her weak, and I'd give my life to prevent that from ever happening again!_

_And you know what? I don't even feel guilty about Lisanna. I think this is what she would want for me – to find a new purpose in life, someone new to protect. I thought I'd have that with Lucy, but according to Happy and Bixlow, she and Loke are a couple. Not that I'm not happy for them, but isn't there some rule among Celestial Spirits that you can't date your owner? Not that I'd know, but it obviously doesn't seem to bother them, so I guess that's all that matters._

Lucy looked outraged. "That stupid cat!" she yelled. "We are so _not_ a couple!"

"Why not?" asked Erza. "You obviously care for each other."

"True," said Lucy. "I don't mind that I'm still his owner, but you have to remember, Loke was banished from the Celestial Spirit World for indirectly causing his last owner's death, and I don't want him in any more trouble because of me."

"Kind of sounds like me and Jellal," said Erza. "It hurts to think we can never be together. However, we have to think of Fairy Tail first. I won't damn our guild because of my own selfish feelings!"

Lucy nodded. "Love sucks, doesn't it?" she asked.

"Damn straight," agreed Erza. She read the last paragraph out loud.

_Today I tried telling Erza how I feel, but for some reason, I just couldn't spit the words out. So I challenged her to a fight, she beat me in three seconds, world keeps on spinning, aye? But someday, I'll let her know the truth. I swear on my Fairy Tail stamp!_

Erza was silent. She was struggling to take in the fact that Natsu liked her as more than a friend, maybe even loved her. She flipped to the next page, eager to learn more.

_You know, for having taken out one of the strongest dark guilds, I should be more fired up than this. I mean, we got new member in Wendy and Carla, but something still pisses me off._

_Jellal._

_Yup, the bastard who tried to sacrifice Erza is alive. Except he's not so much of a bastard now. In fact, he helped me beat Oracion Seis's leader. Of course, the Council tried to take him away. I was the first to defend him, if only for Erza's sake. But Erza herself stopped us. I guess I would have too. She's already losing Jellal, and I feel like shit thinking she could've lost all of us too._

_Part of me wanted to tell Erza how I felt right then and there. I know it sounds selfish, but I just wanted to let her know that it was gonna be all right, that Jellal didn't want her crying over him. But I just couldn't do it. She gave me space when Lisanna died, it's only right that I do the same. I mean, Erza really did love Jellal. She does. I can't just tell her not to love him, can I? No, I can't. I won't!_

_But really, Jellal is a good man. I didn't think so at first, but then he offered me this gold fire called the Flame of Rebuke. When I ate it, for a second I felt like I _was_ Jellal. All his guilt, all his desires... it's like I ate a piece of his soul! And I know that Erza would be happy with him._

_I can't lie to you. When I saw Jellal was alive, I pretty much lost it trying to get to Erza before him. Those same thoughts from the Tower of Heaven kept pounding in my head. But then Lucy found me, and I calmed down pretty much instantly._

_Lucy has this sort of power. She can make me feel like all is right with the world. It's like she banishes the darkness with a smile, and you feel like you can do anything as long as she's by your side._

_Lucy and Erza keep me grounded in their own unique ways. One keeps me sound of mind, and the other heals my spirit. Loke and Jellal are lucky bastards for having their love, because I can't imagine my life without either of them in it._

The two girls looked at each other. Neither knew what to say without potentially starting a conflict with the other. Finally, Lucy spoke. "I should probably put this back where I found it," she said nervously.

"That would be best," agreed Erza. "Let's also agree to forget everything we read today."

"Right."

The two young women put Natsu's belongings back in their original spots, and they parted with the promise to see each other tomorrow, but nothing more.

That night, Lucy and Erza each had dreams of a certain Salamander. Lucy dreamt of lying carefree on a riverbank next to Natsu. Erza fantasized about the Dragon Slayer's arms enveloping her as if made of armor. Each woke up suddenly in the night, saying the same thing.

"I think I like Natsu."


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello, people! Nightlingbolt here! Welcome to Chapter Two of "Natsu's Diary!"**

**Just throwing this out there, you may experience a bit of a disconnect between the first and second halves of this chapter, since I wrote most of the second half just this week. You know how it goes: great plan, it makes less sense the more you think about it, and eventually, you hate it. Well, that's what happened. Also, I realized that when you're writing a love triangle, there will be a certain degree of tension. I'm just afraid I'll end up vilifying one girl over the other. But I think I got a system in mind. I'll give them both a scene with Natsu, and from there, I'll move into a sort of story arc. I won't say much on it, but it does draw inspiration from Justice League Unlimited. You'll know the episode when you see the chapter. But for now... this!**

**I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, Hiro Mashima does. I do own Scutum the Shield, or at least the version that appears in this chapter. I also own Cheez Buttons.**

* * *

The next few days passed by without event, though things were awkward between Erza and Lucy. Each knew that something about them attracted Natsu to them, and though they never acknowledged it to each other, they each knew the other felt more than friendship for their idiot of a Dragon Slayer.

Neither wanted to accept the obvious – that from now on, they were love rivals. Lucy knew she didn't stand a chance against Erza's beauty or her power, both of which should attract Natsu without much effort. Erza, however, felt intimidated by the close bond Lucy shared with Natsu as his best friend, with the fear that all it would take to turn them into something more was just a sharp nudge.

So they sat at a table in the guild hall, stealing glances at each other, pretending not to look at the guild doors, eagerly anticipating Natsu and Happy's return, all the while oblivious to the concerned stares of Gray, Wendy, and Carla.

"Is it just me, or have Lucy and Erza been more on edge with each other than normal?" asked Carla in a whisper.

"Something's definitely up," said Gray. "Lucy's rent is due in a week, and she hasn't even said anything about a mission. I offered to take her on one, but she said no."

"That's odd," said Carla. "Maybe it didn't pay enough to cover her rent?"

"400,000 Jewels," said Gray. "Enough to pay her rent for five months! And she didn't go for it! Why?"

"That's not all," said Wendy. "Erza-san seems kind of distant lately. Especially around Lucy."

Gray nodded his agreement. "Ever since they cleaned Natsu's place together, those two haven't been talking."

"Did something happen between Lucy and Erza-san?" asked Wendy in a worried tone.

"I don't know," said Carla. "They haven't been fighting, per se, just... awkward."

Gray was about to say something, but just then, the guild doors slammed open, and Natsu stood in the doorway, Happy on his shoulder. "We're back!" the Salamander announced.

"Natsu!" exclaimed Lucy and Erza brightly. They got up, met Natsu at the guild entrance, and hugged him at the same time, causing Erza to glare at Lucy, who only held on tighter. Natsu was only released when Gray, Wendy, and Carla joined them a moment later, much to his relief.

"Welcome back, Natsu," said Erza. "I suppose that lead didn't go anywhere?"

"Another dud," said Natsu, disappointment clear in his voice.

Lucy put her hand on Natsu's shoulder. "You'll find Igneel someday," she said soothingly.

"The important thing is to have faith in him," added Erza. "After all, I doubt Igneel would have left without a very good reason."

"Yeah," said Natsu sadly. "Thanks, guys. Oh!" Natsu fished a silver key out of his pocket and gave it to Lucy. "I got this to say I'm sorry," he told her.

Lucy gasped when she saw the shield design on the key. "This is... the key for Scutum the Shield!" she said in excitement. "You didn't have to do this!"

"I felt bad about our fight," said Natsu. "I figured it was better than nothing." Lucy hugged the pink-haired young man tightly.

"She liii-" Happy started, but was stopped by a harsh glare from Erza. "Um, I mean, nothing! Lucy sure doesn't like Natsu or anything like that!" the blue Exceed said nervously.

Natsu looked confused. "Of course Lucy likes me. We're friends, aren't we?" he asked.

"Of course you are," said Erza. "And so are we. Right?"

Now Natsu was nervous. "A-aye!" he said hastily, intimidated by Erza's honey-sweet voice.

Lucy glared at Erza, which didn't go unnoticed by Gray. In an attempt at damage control, he said, "Why don't you make a contract with Scutum, Lucy?"

Lucy beamed. "Great idea, Gray!" she said. Holding up her new key, she chanted, "I am one who walks the path of the stars! Open the Gate of the Shield, Scutum!"

In a flash of light, a purple shield with a gold pointed cross materialized. Its arms and hands were somewhat cartoonish, being long and silver. The sides of the cross were slanted upwards, with two eyes nestled in the incline. In the center of the cross was a large, round ruby.

"Are you my new owner?" the shield asked in a deep masculine voice.

"Yes, I am," said Lucy. "Now what days can you be summoned?"

"I am a Celestial Spirit dedicated to the defense of the one who holds my key!" Scutum proudly declared. "I am available to be summoned any time my owner needs protection!"

"Fantastic!" said Lucy.

"So... what can you do?" asked Natsu.

"I'm glad you asked!" Scutum boomed. "I have the power to absorb an enemy's magic and fire it back at them twofold!"

"Awesome! I gotta try that out!" said Natsu excitedly.

"Wait!" shouted Erza. "Scutum, face the door. Natsu, you face Lucy." Spirit and mage moved into the appropriate positions. "Okay, you're good."

"Thanks, Erza!" said Natsu. He prepared an attack. "Fire Dragon's Roar!" Natsu hit Scutum with a blast of fire, which the Shield Spirit absorbed. The ruby glowed gold, and a powerful beam of concentrated magic was fired at the Dragon Slayer, who took evasive action...

...Thus allowing Mira, having just arrived from the market, to be struck by the beam, pushing her back and causing her to drop her groceries.

"Ah! Mira!" exclaimed Lucy in worry.

"Mira!"

Erza rushed over to her rival. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine, Erza," said Mira. She picked up a bag, looked inside, and gasped. "Oh no!" she exclaimed. "The eggs are all cracked! And the yolk got all over the bread!"

Lucy groaned. "Oh, Mira, we are so sorry!" she said dramatically.

Mira sighed. "Don't worry, Lucy," she said. "It's my fault for not keeping the eggs in a separate bag. But could I ask you two to replace the bread and eggs?"

"Yes! Of course!" said Lucy, bowing dutifully. "Let's go, Natsu!"

"What?! Why do I have to go?!" whined Natsu.

"Because we're both at fault!" said Lucy. "Scutum is my Spirit, and that blast was created from your Dragon Roar! We're both going, and that's final!"

"...Fine," grumbled Natsu.

"I shall accompany you," declared Erza.

"Really, Erza?" asked Mira. "You didn't do anything wrong."

"True," agreed Erza. "But the fact of the matter is, I myself need to do a little shopping. That is, of course, assuming Natsu is willing to help out."

Natsu perked up. "Will that get me out of polishing your armor?" he asked.

"It will result in me helping you, at least," replied Erza.

"Works for me!" said Natsu excitedly. "Come on, Lucy!" With that, he grabbed Lucy by the arm and ran off towards the market, Happy flying along behind them.

Erza let out a low growl. Of course it would be Lucy Natsu grabs by the arm. "NATSUUUU!" she bellowed, rushing off after her teammates.

Gray smirked to himself. Erza was jealous. It all made sense now. The thought of losing Erza to Natsu bothered him, but hey, if he could Erza's mind off of Jellal, then that was all that really mattered. "I should go too," he said. "Can't function without Cheez Buttons in the house, you know." With that, he walked off in the direction his team had ended up in.

"Gray likes Cheez Buttons?" asked Mira randomly.

* * *

Erza, Lucy, and Natsu had finally made it to the market. "Well, Lucy," said Erza. "You should probably get the items Mira needs and get back to the guild. I believe Natsu and I can handle things here."

"I have a better idea," said Lucy firmly, but bravely – after all, even if she was fighting for Natsu, she was still fighting Titania Erza. "How about you get your groceries by yourself, and Natsu and I just get Mira's stuff and be on our way?"

Happy was surprised. Lucy was talking back to Erza, of all people? Madness!

Meanwhile, Natsu looked nervous, as if a fight was about to start. "Better idea: I get the stuff for Mira, and Lucy helps Erza with her shopping?"

"Yeah right, Natsu," said Lucy with a laugh. "If we leave you alone, who's gonna stop you from destroying the store?"

Natsu stared blankly at Lucy. "Lucy. Why would I do something as counterproductive as destroy a place where you buy food?" he asked.

"I can vouch for him, Lucy," said Happy. "Natsu's bought groceries here before. Mostly fish and meat, but it's still something."

"I would have thought you'd mostly eat all of Lucy's food, Natsu," said Erza.

"Yeah, the food Lucy gets is fine when I'm hungry, but come on, I can't live on just health nut crap." said Natsu. "I need meat! Flaming meat! Right, Happy?"

"Aye!" said Happy. "Healthy food is bad for cats!"

"It's whole grain!" said Lucy. "What's the problem?"

"Cats need fish!" whined Happy.

"So Happy and I will get Mira's stuff," said Natsu. "And you guys can get Erza's stuff together. And hey, without me..." He gave the girls a wink and a mischievous smile. "You can talk shit about your boyfriends!" With that, he ran off cackling.

"Wait, Natsu!" called Happy as he flew after his partner, leaving the girls confused at the Dragon Slayer's statement.

"Well... we'd better get started," said Lucy.

"Right," agreed Erza. She took out her list, tore it in half, and gave it to Lucy. "This is your half."

"Okay," said Lucy. "Well... see you in a few?"

"Over by the seafood," said Erza.

The two girls went their separate ways, neither wanting to be alone with the other on account of their newfound rivalry.

* * *

When he was sure he wasn't being followed, Natsu slowed his pace and, for the first time in a while, stopped to think.

"_The hell was with Erza today?"_ he thought. _"Happy said something about me liking Lucy, and she looked like she was gonna kill him for it. And since when did Lucy stand up to Erza? Something's up between them, and I'm gonna figure it out! But for now, I should get Mira's stuff."_

Natsu got the bread from the bakery, and soon he was looking for eggs. "Hmmm... white eggs or brown?" he wondered out loud. "Happy, what color eggs does Mira buy?

"I don't know," said Happy. "I think she gets white."

"Why white?" asked Natsu.

"Because they match her hair!" said Happy cheerfully.

Natsu's face lit up. "That makes perfect sense!" he said. He reached for the white eggs, but someone grabbed them at the same time. It was Gray.

"By all means," said Gray. "I'm not gonna fight with you about eggs."

Natsu put the eggs in his basket. "I thought you hated Cheez Buttons," he said, having seen the box in Gray's basket.

"Yeah," said Gray. "But what's it to you if I decide to give 'em a chance?"

"Nothing. I don't care," said Natsu. "Eat all the goddamn Cheez Buttons you want."

"I will," Gray shot back.

"Good!" said Natsu.

Gray bit back an insult. He was trying to keep their conversation civil. "I see you managed to lose the girls," he said.

"Yeah," said Natsu. "They were acting really weird. Lucy even stood up to Erza! She never does that!"

Gray frowned. How dense can this guy get? "You'll figure it out eventually," said Gray. "Oh, by the way... do you remember that bet we made as kids? You know, the one that decided who marries Erza?"

"Yeah," said Natsu. "Why?"

"No reason," said Gray. "Just feeling a little nostalgic for the old days. See you at the guild, Pinky." He walked away, presumably to pay for his groceries.

"That was weird," said Natsu when Gray was gone. "Why would Gray bring up that bet straight out of nowhere?"

"What bet?" asked a voice, causing Natsu to jump.

"Dammit, Lucy! Don't sneak up on me like that!" yelled Natsu.

"Well, I guess we're even for all the times you and Happy break into my house," said Lucy haughtily. "So seriously, what bet?"

"Oh, just some dumbass bet we made as kids," said Natsu. "First to become S-Class gets to marry Erza."

"Oh," said Lucy softly. She looked down at the floor, shuffling her feet.

"I have no idea why Gray's back on that," he admitted. "Is that stripper not telling me something? I'll fry his ass if he is!"

"Natsu," said Happy. "Lucy's sad."

"Oh," said Natsu. Turning to Lucy, he said, "What's wrong? Having problems with Loke? Call him her so I can kick his ass."

"It's not Loke," said Lucy. "It's just... I wish someone would make a bet to marry me."

Natsu frowned. "Why would you wanna get married as part of a bet?" he asked. "You're a strong mage, a pretty girl, and a nice person! You deserve to choose who you marry! Now, I don't ever wanna hear you say anything like that again! Got it?"

"Yeah," said Lucy. "Thanks, Natsu." She gave her friend a hug. "I'm supposed to meat up with Erza in seafood. Why don't you guys come with us? We'll see if we can pick out some nice fish for dinner."

"Fish! Aye!" exclaimed Happy.

"Sounds great, Lucy," said Natsu with a smile. However, as he followed the Celestial mage to the seafood section, Natsu couldn't help but think about Lucy's reaction to the bet.

"_Why does Lucy care so much about a stupid bet from when I was a kid? Erza herself shot it down, it doesn't mean anything And besides, she has Loke to take care of her._

_...Right?"_

Natsu growled. It looked like things would get complicated for him soon.

* * *

**And there we go. Again, I'm really trying to balance Lucy and Erza out. But don't worry, Erza will get her time in the sun next chapter. I can't remember if I said so in the first chapter, so I'll say it again: I will be writing an ending for each girl. But when I do, just because I post one's ending first doesn't mean she lost or the other won. Only I know the ultimate endgame, and I intend to keep it that way.**

**So that's it then. I'll try to post the second chapter of the rewrite of Figuring it Out, but other than Natsu almost saying Rogue's name instead of Sting's, there's really not much difference to be had. So until next time, peace and love from Nightlingbolt.**


	3. Rant

**Hello, people. Nightlingbolt here. I don't like doing just Author's Notes, but I feel like the situation calls for it.  
**

**Some of you have been asking me to make this story a NaLu. This, however, goes against my plan for this story, which I've stated multiple times is to make it equal parts NaLu and Natza. I'm not going to make one or the other endgame just to please myself, and I'm certainly not going to make one or the other endgame just to please you guys (trust me, I'm holding in several hundred profanities that apply to certain readers, but could potentially alienate my entire fanbase).**

**I've said since Chapter One of this project that I plan on writing endings both for NaLu and Natza, and that this story is meant to appeal to fans of either ship. But I'm warning you all now, if I see one more review asking me to make this NaLu or Natza - JUST ONE MORE - then I'm deleting this story. I don't know what part of "an ending for each ship" you people don't seem to understand, but it's disheartening for me to read a review and realize that there are people out there who don't seem capable of reading the little notes I do at the beginning and end and understanding my intent with this story, and instead ask/beg/demand that I write the story to fit their ship and their ship alone, when clearly that goes against my plans, which I had ALREADY ESTABLISHED, and makes me not want to continue the story!  
**

**In other words, I wrote this story because I ship Natza, yet want to understand NaLu better, and instead I find an understanding that I am completely justified in calling the NaLu community a "zombie horde." I would say the same thing if my reviews consisted of people asking me to make Natza endgame. I love Natza, true enough, but this isn't a pure Natza story, just as it's not a pure NaLu story!**

**So to recap, I am disgusted with the amount of reviews I get asking me to make this NaLu, and one more will cause me to delete this story, and I don't think you bloody want that, do you? No, you don't. So stop asking me. That goes for my Natza-shipping reviewers - even though you've done nothing wrong, I have to act in the interests of fairness.  
**

**So anyway, that's what's going on. I advise you not to test me, because I'm dead serious about carrying out this threat. I suppose I'll work on Death the Kid T-Shirt when I get home, because I really don't want to work on this right now.**


End file.
